FORMER Chelsea winger Arjen Robben completed the Rotterdam Marathon in under THREE HOURS on Sunday.
The 39-year-old, who retired from football in 2021, crossed the line in 2:58:33 as he came home to achieve his sub-three-hour goal.
Robben, who also played for Real Madrid and Bayern Munich, ran the same race in 2022 and secured a time of 3:13:40.
But it was his 2023 performance that left him ecstatic at the finish.
Speaking immediately after crossing the line, he said: "I'm really broken, but I made it.
"For a sprinter like me, such a distance is very long. But I like sports and challenges."
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He then went on to add: "I'm no longer a top athlete, but I can say I think it's top sport when you can run a marathon in under three hours.
"That comes very close to winning a major football title. Great, I can tick that off."
Robben hung up his boots two years ago after one season with Groningen, having enjoyed a stellar career with some of Europe's top clubs.
He won the Eredivisie title with PSV in 2003, before joining Chelsea and claiming two Premier League titles, an FA Cup and two League Cups under Jose Mourinho.
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The Dutchman then signed for Real Madrid in 2007 where he spent two campaigns, claiming one LaLiga title.
But the bulk of his career was spent in Germany where he played for a decade at Bayern Munich.
Robben scooped eight Bundesliga titles, five DFB Pokals and the Champions League.
He was also capped 96 times by the Netherlands, scoring 37 goals.
He played an integral part in Bert van Marwijk's side reaching the 2010 World Cup final, before they were beaten 1-0 by Spain.
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